At the Hospitals: July 27, 2014

Lebanon — A motorcycle ride next month will benefit David’s House, a nonprofit that provides a home away from home for families with children receiving medical treatment through Children’s Hospital at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center.

The guided ride, set for Aug. 2, leaves from First Congregational Church, 3470 Route 5, Westminster, Vt. It ends at David’s House, 461 Mount Support Road, Lebanon. Registration is from 8:30-10 a.m. at the church. The entrance fee is $20 per rider or passenger and includes a catered lunch at the end of the ride.

For more information, contact Joseph Sampsell at gamecock87@vermontel.net.

Gifford’s Last Mile Ride Will Span Two Days

Randolph — Gifford Medical Center’s annual Last Mile Ride will expand this year to include two days of events, scheduled for Aug. 15-16.

This year the 5K run and a 1-mile walk will take place on Aug. 15 at 6 p.m., the night before the ride. This year’s run will be a competitive, timed event. Registration for the run and walk opens at 4:30 p.m. on Aug. 15.

Registration for the approximately 40-mile bicycle ride and 80-mile motorcycle ride begins at 8:30 a.m. on Aug. 16, and the rides leave that day at 10 a.m. Orange County Sheriff Bill Bohnyak will escort the motorcyclists, and the Combat Veterans Motorcycle Association Chapter 26-2 will provide road guard services. A barbecue lunch, prizes, awards and free massages will be available after the rides.

Advance registration is encouraged for all of the events, and those who register by Aug. 1 will receive a free T-shirt. The minimum donations to take part are $25 for the walk and run, $50 for the bicycle and motorcycle ride, and $75 for a motorcyclist and passenger.

Money raised through the ride supports free services for Gifford patients at the end of life and their families, such as alternative therapies for pain management and help with travel expenses for patients going to medical appointments or family members traveling to be at a loved one’s bedside. Other free services include professional family photographs; food for families staying with a loved one in Gifford’s end-of-life care suite; special requests such as handicapped ramps or a last family trip to a Red Sox game; and bereavement help.

As part of the ride, the hospital is raffling off a new Harley-Davidson motorcycle or $5,000 cash. A bicycle raffle and quilt raffle are also planned. Since its start in 2006, the ride has grown to about 300 participants. Last year, it raised $56,000.

Lebanon — Alice Peck Day Memorial Hospital has been designated a “Baby-Friendly” hospital through 2018 by Baby-Friendly USA.

The designation recognizes its adherence to standards that offer “an optimal level of care for infant feeding and mother/baby bonding,” the hospital said in a recent news release.

The Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative was launched in 1991 by the World Health Organization and the United Nations Children’s Fund in an effort to encourage breastfeeding in the wake of well-established evidence that human milk fed through the mother’s breast is the healthiest way for infants to be nourished.

The hospital was among the first eight in the United States to receive the designation, and today it is among only six hospitals in New Hampshire and one in Vermont with the recognition, said Susan Mooney, APD president and CEO.

According to Baby-Friendly USA, only 7.74 percent of births in the United States occur in facilities with the designation, which recognizes organizations that meet a range of guidelines, including successful implementation of “Ten Steps to Successful Breastfeeding” and the “International Code of Marketing of Breast-milk Substitutes.”

New London Hospital Volunteers Honored at Annual Celebration

New London — New London Hospital volunteers were honored last month at the annual volunteer recognition dinner, held at the Wilmot Community Association Barn.

About half of the hospital’s 135 active volunteers attended the event, which included a buffet provided by hospital staff, a review of key volunteer events of the past year, and a raffle.

The volunteers work in dozens of areas, including the Clough Extended Care Center, front desk, gift shop, mailroom and patient support. They also serve on the Board of Trustees and related committees and help with recycling and special fundraisers. In 2013, the volunteers provided nearly 11,000 hours of service, with an estimated value of more than $236,000.

In addition to saving the organization money, they are a vital connection to the hospital’s 15-town service area, providing important community input and serving as ambassadors for the hospital, NLH said in a recent news release. For more information, contact Nancy Collins, manager of volunteer services, at 603-526-5133 or nancy.collins@newlondonhospital.org.

Golf Tournament Supports 3D Mammography at Valley Regional

Claremont — The 23rd annual Valley Regional Golf Classic last month raised more than $30,000 toward the cost of the recently installed 3D mammography system at Valley Regional Hospital.

There are several advantages to 3D mammography over traditional 2D mammography, the hospital said in a recent news release.

“Clearer imaging improves radiologists’ ability to detect small invasive cancers earlier, when treatment can be more effective. Also, the number of women called back for a repeat mammogram because of uncertain results is reduced by as much as 40 percent.”

The tournament at Newport Golf Club attracted 34 teams. First gross winners were members of the Raven Bay team and the first net winning team was VuCOMP Inc. The prizes for the shots closest to the pin went to Cory Patten and Darcie Gauthier and the longest drive awards went to Rich Stockwell and Paige Gauthier.

Gifford Flea Market Is Aug. 9

Randolph — Gifford Medical Center will host a flea market on Aug. 9 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. in Gifford’s green space between the hospital and the Thrift Shop on Route 12.

Previously called the Randolph Antique and Artisan’s Fair, the market has been renamed JP’s Flea Market for Gifford’s founder John P. Gifford.

As is the past, it will feature antiques, architectural salvage, collectables, crafts, food, furniture, home goods, vintage clothing and more.

Prospective vendors should contact Amanda Wheeler at 802-728-2767 or awheeler@giffordmed.org. Vendor lots are 15 feet by 15 feet and cost $20 each. A vendor can reserve up to three lots, and tables can be reserved in advance for $5 each while they last. Animals, cars, junk or merchandise distributors are not allowed. The event will be held rain or shine.